The deployment came hours after the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced discharge of the Italian coronavirus index case and directed law enforcement agencies to disperse and arrest any large gatherings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the state.

A top government official, who confirmed to Theguild on Saturday, stressed that the enforcement team would be moving around the state to ensure residents do not violate the directives.

According to him, the team includes officials from Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Safety Commission and Policemen attached to Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Agency (Task Force).

The official noted that the enforcement team would be moving across the state to monitor how residents were complying with the new directive targeted towards curbing spread of coronavirus in Lagos.

Earlier, Sanwo-Olu, while justifying the need for the restriction, said: “In South Korea, and Singapore, the disease spread largely through organized religious gatherings. The issue is of course not cause religion, but that the virus can spread through any large assemblage of people or gathering”.

He said: “To protect and save lives, law enforcement agencies, especially the Police, have been directed to enforce compliance with the directive against any assemblage of a large number of people at any location.

“You will all agree with me that these times call for us all to act responsibly and abstain from all large outings or gatherings of any kind, be they academic, family, professional, political, religious or social”, the governor added.

The governor, however, cautioned residents against panic-buying of the Chloroquine drug, foodstuff, and other household items.